Sultana died from brain haemorrhage

The cause of Sultana Jasmine's death was brain haemorrhage due to excessive stress and a sudden rise in blood pressure, forensic experts of Rajshahi Medical College said yesterday.

"As her blood pressure shot up due to stress, two blood vessels inside her brain swelled up and ruptured, causing internal bleeding," Kafil Uddin, associate professor and head of RMC's forensic medicine department, said while explaining the outcome of the autopsy to reporters who went to the hospital for updates.

"Ultimately, her body went into a shock," he said, adding that shock is a medical condition when the brain stops receiving oxygen and other nutrients.

Meanwhile, Sultana's maternal uncle Nazmul Haque Montu held the Rab members, who kept her in custody till her burial, responsible for the death.

"While in their custody, they obviously did something that caused her death," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Sultana, 41, an office assistant of Naogaon's Chandipur union land office, died on March 24, two days after she was detained on her way to work.

A day after her death, a three-member medical board, led by Prof Kafil, conducted the autopsy and finalised the report on April 1 after laboratory tests.

On Sunday afternoon, the final report was handed over to Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.

Rofikul Alam, an additional deputy commissioner of RMP, said the report would be placed before the High Court.

The final autopsy report said, "The mentioned injuries in the autopsy report were not sufficient to cause the death of the deceased."

It also mentioned there was "a small laceration" on the left side of her forehead and cannula prick marks on her right elbow.

Montu said Sultana was completely healthy before her detention.

"When she was admitted to hospital, it was the Rab members who surrounded her. When she died, it was them who performed the religious rites of showering the body and putting it into a coffin. They were present till she was buried.

"They are responsible for her death," he pressed.

Sultana was buried in a graveyard near her parents' home in Naogaon town on March 25.

Despite several attempts, The Daily Star could not reach Rab-5 Director Lt Col Riaz Shahriar over the phone.

Meanwhile, a Rab investigation team went to Naogaon town and talked to Sultana's son and one of her brothers-in-law. Both gave the team written statements regarding what they had learnt and experienced since her detention, Montu said.